Darren Bailey is hoping voters come to see House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) for the bully that he thinks he is.
As exhibit A, Bailey offers up Madigan’s running feud with Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood), all because the veteran lawmaker had the courage to stand up to the longtime Democratic Party leader.
“That’s the Madigan way,” Bailey, a Xenia Republican running in the primary against Rep. Dave Reis (R-Willow Hill) in the 109th District, told the SE Illinois News. “It’s everything that’s wrong with Illinois politics and bullying at its worse. I think voters in Madigan’s district must be somehow protected from all the news of his scandal and corruption. It’s the only way he could keep getting away with the stuff that he does.”
Darren Bailey
Madigan and Drury have been at odds ever since Drury chose to not vote for Madigan to return as House speaker. Drury, a former federal prosecutor, is running for attorney general in the Democratic primary and Madigan has been far from a supporter, culminating in a union that Illinois News Network reported has ties to Madigan working to have Drury knocked off the March 20 ballot.
“It’s depressing the way people just cower to him,” Bailey said. “We need more men and women like myself in Springfield who are not afraid of him and will not stand for the corruption while holding him accountable. That's what has to happen and I will become a thorn in his side.”
As it is, Bailey said scandal and corruption seems to be have permeated much of Springfield, including in his own race.
“The Republican Party has contributed more than $800,000 to my opponent’s campaign,” he said. "Recently, voters got as many as four mailers in one day, all of them filled with lies and distortions. I think a lot of people in Springfield are afraid of business people like myself coming there with our common sense approach to things.”
Bailey said he feels a lot of momentum entering the final days of the campaign, and he is proud to have recently bagged the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune.
“We’ll keep working hard and talking with voters,” he said. “As a farmer, I’ve always believed you keep working hard until everything is completely done because you never know when a storm may come in and change everything. Our message is one people can rally around.”
The 109th House District includes parts or all of Jasper, Effingham, Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Wabash, Wayne, Edwards and White counties.
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